The Rise of the Concert Agent Flashcards
William Weber - Introduction to the Musicians as Entrepreneur
- “music historians give musicians too little credit for their roles in shaping and reshaping musical life on a broad social plane”
- “need to ask how musicians worked as active agents within musical life” and “society”
- “must take musicians seriously as business people and as social forces”
- “how they acted as entrepreneurs and how they took advantage of opportunities before them”
The artist manager
(Atholl Swainston-Harrison):
- “artist management” - “requires nuanced knowledge of the media, audience, broadcasting, promotion, taxation, legal affairs, travel and even politics”
- artist manager follows artist for a while before discussing a contract
- classical era - agent + manager = similar roles
- agent should know what singer should sing (voice type, gig, genre) -“nurture talent”
Weber’s 5 stages in the development of the concert agent
- Self-management by performers (Spohr + Hummel)
- Personal manager (Liszt + Paganini)
- Sole agent - independent (Gutmann - Vienna)
- Cooperation between European agents (1910)
- Corporate management after WWII (Columbia Artist Management + IMG)
Why did virtuosi get agents?
- to ‘prepare the way’ across large geographical distances (prep accommodation, venues and promote in advance)
- perform in many concerts - maximise profit
- changing model from cooperation to competition in local centres
- promotion and image management, keep up with competition (Liszt vs. Thalberg)
Paganini and his agents
-agents in local centres (London, Norwich, English + French provinces)
-relationship = short-term profit - demands of agents often conflicted and pushed Paganini too hard
by giving him too many concerts (an artist manager should think of longevity and not set too much!)
-conflicts and rivalries between agents over legal and monetary disputes
Liszt and the ‘exclusive’ agent
-Belloni (‘exclusive agent’ 1841-1847) accompanied Liszt on travels and went ahead to cities to make arrangements, acted as press officer (promoted Liszt), arranged instruments (transport), acted as treasurer (pay bills, cash takings, ‘counting heads’ at concerts), managed Liszt’s affairs (custody battle over Liszt’s children), created a profit orientated enterprise based on long-term reputation and image management
Beyond Liszt and Paganini
- Established concert institutions in most European centres meant agents negotiated increasingly with other professionals
- Agents (e.g. Gutmann - Vienna) - authoritative arbiters of taste
- 1910s, many agencies controlled schedules of venues + clients
- agents established life long relationships with clients and ‘lists’ of artists who would tour/perform together
- CAMI (Columbia Artist Management), CBS, Columbia Records, New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall (links between agency, broadcasting, recording, control over orchestras and venues)
Rise of IMG (International Management Group)
- 1960 (set up - for sport but soon Shirley Bassey and other showbiz personalities are taken on)
- 1982 (classical promos, one-offs)
- 1984 (acquires NY agency, gain clients e.g. Joshua Bell)
- 1986 (ads + endorsements with Perlman)
- 1987 (Carmen in Earl’s Court then worldwide tour)
- 1991 (Stephen Wright joins bringing 25 clients)
- 1992 (Graham + Mulgan join bringing 100 singers)
IMG - return to terra firma
high ratio of agents to artists, created an inflammatory market (top earners earn more, the rest struggle), bought by parent company, make market more equal
IAMA Guidelines for Artist Managers
Atholl Swainston-Harrison
- clear statement of intent by artist management company (AMC)
- statement to develop artists career strategy
- date of agreement + termination notice
- state territories agreement is valid in
- Artist manager as sole representative can enter into agreements on artists behalf
- plan for dealing with expenses
Commission Rates
10~20% for singers + conductors (concert/opera), intrumental soloists, chamber ensembles
Medium-sized agency
Hazard Chase (London-Cambridge)
Small ‘boutique’ agency
Clarion-Seven Muses (London)
Large/corporate agency
IMG
Atholl Swainston-Harrison - artist’s loyalty to manager is important why?
Develop a relationship with them (spend a lot of time together), thats why artists go with managers to different agencies like IMG
The ‘expanded field’ of concert management
- Angela Myles Beeching - “role of managers, producers, presenters (and sometimes artists) are becoming somewhat blurred”
- artist managers job description is becoming blurred (manage more than 1 artist, secure performances, compete for opportunities on artists behalf, advise on projects + accareer marketing + PR)
- personal managers “” for 1 artist
- promoters engage performers and provide direction over programming
- producers “” 1 off events, educational/community projects
- booking agents book venues, hotels etc
- publicists manage media coverage (website, social media)
A return to self-management
- self-managed performers
- personal managers
- sole agents (independent, small, ‘boutique’ agencies e.g. Clarion-Seven Muses)
- networks of medium-sized agencies (agency + media e.g. Hazard Chase + Orchid Media)
- Corporates (IMG)
Advantages of professional management (having an agent)
- Advocacy - someone negotiates on your behalf (travel + hotel), higher fees
- Legitimation/’consecration’ - artists benefit by association with other artists on agents list
- Collaboration - artists collaborate promoted by agents
- Know other promotors, venue managers, festival directors, newspaper arts editors, radio producers/presenters
Disadvantages of professional management (having an agent)
- Competition with agent’s list - favouritism?
- Competencies - what functions are really necessary? how good are they at promoting? better to get personal manager/publicist?
- Cost - 20%, can you afford that? Benefit for it?
